In this article
Google expanded aggregator and supplier units to local business queries. These experiences concern the European Economic Area and distinguish eligible aggregators from businesses that provide a service directly. Official source.
A practical check
For a local provider, check the service page, coverage area, contact details, and crawlable links. For an aggregator, read the eligibility and data requirements before assuming participation.
A plumbing company is a direct supplier; a directory listing many plumbers is an aggregator. Their participation rules are not interchangeable. The supplier should keep service pages crawlable and accurate; an aggregator should review Google's eligibility process.
What the evidence supports
Inspect results for relevant queries and countries; do not attribute every local ranking change to this new format. A direct supplier does not follow the same process as an aggregator. Date the check and retain the source documentation so that later changes can be verified.
Two actors, two journeys
A supplier provides the service requested by the customer. An aggregator lists several suppliers and helps users compare or select them. That distinction changes how to read the results: seeing a directory in a new unit does not mean an independent company's listing will automatically appear there. Google's criteria describe a particular result format and market, not a universal new local ranking rule.
How to observe an effect
Build a small set of representative queries: service alone, service plus city, and a comparison query. Record the country, device, date, presence of the new unit, and sites shown. Repeat the same observations a few weeks later. In Search Console, compare impressions and clicks for the relevant service pages, but do not attribute every movement to this format. Seasonality, ads, and competitors can change at the same time.
What a business can improve
A service page should explain the work, the actual coverage area, contact options, and terms customers need to know. A directory should check its eligibility and supplier data. Invented branches or near-identical city pages do not help a user compare providers.
Practical questions
Should a small business apply for inclusion? Google's documentation distinguishes actor types. A company providing the service itself should first see how its pages appear; it should not follow an aggregator application process unless eligible.
What should be compared? A service query, a service plus city query, and a comparison query in the same country. Keep dated screenshots and the URL that receives the click.
What if traffic falls? Inspect affected queries and pages in Search Console. Check ads, seasonality, and site changes before blaming the new unit. A visual result change does not automatically explain fewer inquiries.
